


castle of glass

by jyooliang



Series: #nochan [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 09:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8572693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jyooliang/pseuds/jyooliang
Summary: Donghyuck likes to joke around but Jeno sees more.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to make this longer at first, but then I realized it would have probably become too much of a mess so I'll probably publish some kind of part 2 when I'll have more time ,,   
> hope you enjoy!

Something no one could easily figure out was wether Donghyuck’s confidence was real or not.   
Most of the members liked to think the little reincarnation of Satan enjoyed his own person enough to force anyone else to deal with his constant jokes, loud laughs, little innocent pranks. A few of them, the older mostly, recognized that Donghyuck simply needed attention, knew how to get it and found joy in being spoiled and babied.   
This clear need had to be revised once Nct Dream was created, as Donghyuck suddenly went from being the cute loud maknae to be responsible for his long-time friends, a Chinese kid with zero knowledge of the language and a leader who panicked way too often. The 127 unit was his refugee when the stress of the situation got too burdensome, still the young singer had his strange ways of reacting when he lacked the love a bunch of older brothers could give. He wasn’t as supportive as he should have been with Mark, he never stopped joking around and it turned out Jaemin and Jisung had to scold him during rehearsal, never the opposite.   
Jeno never thought Donghyuck to be immature, even though his personality often got out of hand. He honestly couldn’t even imagine practice without his loud giggles, leave for schedules without Donghyuck’s soft voice humming songs in the van, his strong aegyo making every adult around soften up a bit, his appreciations for his own reflex at the mirror. Donghyuck was the mood-maker after all, no one expected him to do anything different. Jeno once noticed though, Donghyuck only appreciated himself at the mirror when someone could watch, laugh at his humor, probably leave the room envying his confidence. When Donghyuck was alone, or thought to be, he would never look at his reflex and just focus on leftover homework or music papers. 

Jeno wondered if Donghyuck really knew how beautiful he was, or pretended to know for the sake of humor only. He also wondered if he was the only one having such thoughts, the only one fearing Donghyuck’s confidence could be a castle of glass. 

“I never thought someone could look good with those jeans.” he once told Donghyuck in the backstage, his friend looking at the infamous flower jeans for a moment then back at him, a brow raised.   
“No one does.”   
“They look good on you. I mean - You look good.” it wasn’t Jeno if there was no stuttering, no embarrassment plastered all over his face. Donghyuck stared a little, then turned around and mumbled, “Of course I do.” 

The second time he tried to compliment Donghyuck somewhere more private, the slightly younger boy was wearing a snapback that made him look cuter than he usually did. Jeno liked him best like that, glowing face completely exposed.   
What a shame he actually forgot how to talk properly when it was the two of them only, Donghyuck’s curious face staring at him with his huge eyes. “I like - your..” Jeno pointed at the snapback hopelessly, drawing a funny smile from the other.   
“Yeah, I like my face too.”   
If Jeno wasn’t so sure he knew Donghyuck better than that, he would have probably given up thinking the boy really liked himself that much. Donghyuck wasn’t that popular, though, and he knew that.   
He knew everyone would choose Jeno blindly as the most handsome; there was Jaemin also, born to be a model. Jisung, Chenle and Renjun were cute enough to make everyone want to protect them. Mark, he was still closer to all the standards of Korean beauty.   
Jeno couldn’t see the handsome part of himself, but he could see all the pretty parts of Donghyuck people missed way too often: his bronze skin, his pointy nose, his adorable huge eyes, his moles, that little one Jeno always found himself staring lightheadedly on Donghyuck’s Adam’s apple.   
He could see how Donghyuck would shyly avoided any discussion about their bodies, working out, being on a constant diet and showing each other the results of that all. For someone whose confidence seemed to be so strong, Donghyuck’s one wavered a lot. 

“You are very beautiful, Donghyuck.”   
Jeno knew if he didn’t do it blindly, taking advantage of a moment of peace in the gym, he would have never found the courage to say it aloud. He simply stood at the side of the exercise bike Donghyuck was riding, eyes staring at his own hands. Donghyuck slowly stopped riding, unsure of what he had heard.   
“What?”   
Although Jeno didn’t think he had to repeat it, he did, lifting up his gaze slowly. Even if Donghyuck found him strange for that, he could use the concerned friend card naively. “I said.. you are beautiful.”   
“All of sudden.” Donghyuck got off the exercise bike, heat, sweat and tiredness making a little bit too difficult for him to keep his strong face. He gave Jeno a strange look then walked away, leaving the boy there staring. But Jeno knew Donghyuck hated to be exposed, and he just was. 

\- 

It took Jeno a few weeks to realize his concern over Donghyuck’s confidence and constant need to tell the boy how beautiful he really was, it all meant Jeno had feelings. He wasn’t really sure about how to name them but he had started to low-key stare at Donghyuck a lot more, to think about how prettier and prettier he was getting everyday even during classes, the only moments of the day they would not be together.   
Jaemin noticed too, of course; he knew Jeno a lot better than the boy would think and he had fun teasing him about how visible it was getting. He also pointed out how Donghyuck would avoid teasing Jeno about how manly he was getting in spite of his shy personality, how Donghyuck would never be there when it came to lifting shirts and embarrass Jeno at the reflex of his muscular body.   
“He could be jealous.. I don’t want Donghyuck to think he is not attractive.” Jeno commented, not liking the idea one bit.   
Jaemin shrugged knowingly, “Make him feel attractive, then.”   
Jeno reacted like it was the most absurd of possibilities: wide eyes, panic plastered all over his flushed face. But in fact, it was the only thing he had to do if he wanted not only to make sure Donghyuck knew he was beautiful, but that Jeno cared for him too. The perfect occasion seemed to arrive when they were both told to practice some unplugged songs together, Jeno playing the guitar and Donghyuck singing along. It was something Donghyuck usually did with Mark but now that they were in the same unit, Jeno was given more chances to work on his musical talent and he couldn’t be happier to spend some time with Donghyuck alone, doing what they loved together.   
And if it was no secret Jeno loved to listen to Donghyuck singing, less granted it was how much Donghyuck liked it when Jeno played instruments like guitar or violin. It slipped out of his mouth while talking about Michael Jackson and his favorite song from the artist, “Smooth Criminal”. Jeno wasted no time showing up with his violin the upcoming practice session, and showed Donghyuck how hard he had practiced that one song during those few days apart. Despite school, dancing sessions and work-outs, Jeno hoped to see a smile on his face.   
Donghyuck’s way of reacting to those kind of gifts was rare, because such shyness was hard to see on his always grinning face.   
Jeno felt like justifying himself at the sight of flushed cheeks and a smile almost afraid to be seen; he swore to himself Donghyuck was the prettiest like this and he felt slightly touched, knowing he was and could still be the cause to all of that.   
“I like it when you smile so sincerely.” his voice came out soft but he though it had made such a big noise. “That’s why you say nice things to me?” Donghyuck returned quietly.   
“Those nice things are true.”   
Jeno didn’t expect Donghyuck to look down at that, almost like no mask was there hiding his true feelings anymore. The slightly older boy felt it was the right moment to speak up, to ask Donghyuck for permission and enter his castle of glass with just a gentle touch on his thigh.   
He silently took a breath and if it was no solemn speech, Jeno felt it meaning more than anything. He didn’t care how Donghyuck would perceive his words as long as they could make him simply understand he was beautiful. Truly so. 

“You are beautiful. Everything about you is. I don’t know if you know, Donghyuck.. that you are really beautiful like - no joke or fun about it. You are pretty in and out and I..”   
He would have gladly left the planet with his soul if he could, and Donghyuck looking up at him with expectation and such a delicate expression making him appear so fragile had Jeno forgetting anything he wanted to say anyway.   
“Talk about beautiful.” Donghyuck chuckled and pressed a finger to his nose, almost like he wanted to wave off that tensed atmosphere. No one was new to Jeno being considered the most handsome out of the ‘mini rookies’ but the way Donghyuck wanted to run away now that it was just them had Jeno gain some courage. A now or never situation he couldn’t miss. He tightened the hold on his thigh and Donghyuck stared again, questioningly.  
“You always joke about it but you don’t like yourself enough to believe your own jokes. I do, Donghyuck. I like you.”   
He didn’t realize what he had said until he could read it on Donghyuck’s face, surprise and a little bit of disbelief making his eyes bigger than ever. Jeno got pale but persisted, his feelings flying out of his mouth and soft eyes in the only hope to make Donghyuck realise.   
“I like you.” he repeated, like he couldn’t believe he had said it aloud in the first place. Then he felt it all hitting hard enough to lower his head and let go of Donghyuck’s leg, afraid of what could be. He looked for shelter in a delicate hug he pulled the other into, holding him tight enough to convey the truthfulness of his words but also screaming out of fear. Donghyuck, on the other hand, was speechless, flushed and dumbfounded, pretty much sure he could be dreaming and didn’t notice. If it wasn’t for the desperate call of Jeno’s hands on his sweater he wouldn’t have come to reality, come to hug Jeno back, suddenly feeling so small against his body. When did he get so tall and strong anyway?   
Jeno felt the call of his thankful embrace, only needing to turn his face to the side to get a glimpse of Donghyuck’s flushed one. The little reincarnation of Satan was showing him so much softness he could have melted just then. He cupped one of his cheeks, such a mute Donghyuck was rare enough to make Jeno worry, but the way Donghyuck moved to leave a little peck on his cheek had all the tension finally explode like fireworks. 

“Should I believe you?” the singer asked, suddenly lacing his fingers with Jeno’s ones as to beg him not to take it all back, not to wake him up now. Jeno panicked for a moment, blinking.  
“About you being pretty or..”  
“Do you like me?” Donghyuck specified with a roll of eyes. Jeno tightened the grip on his hands, taking them closer to his lips almost like his breath, his words could kiss them.   
“I do.”

They didn’t really know what it all meant, but Donghyuck’s smile made it clear enough that Jeno’s feelings were reciprocated. If it was true that Donghyuck’s confidence was not as strong as it may have seemed, Jeno’s one was almost non-existent and there was a silent promise held in the soft stare they shared in that small room, that they would have stayed next to each other to grow stronger together.


End file.
